Appeals court says school workers improperly fired

NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana's Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the case of thousands of New Orleans public school employees who were fired after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Lower courts have ruled that the employees were denied due process rights by the New Orleans school board and the state.

An estimated 7,000 employees are affected. They include principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, central office administrators, secretaries and social workers, as well as employees who provided instructional, administrative, food, security, maintenance, transportation and other services.

Exactly how much money is at stake is unclear. In January, a state appeal court upheld a ruling in favor of the employees, but reduced potential damages, saying employees who meet certain requirements were entitled to two years of back pay instead of five.